Eco Facts

There are so many ways just one person can impact the environment. Lots of practices are pretty obvious, others are “aha” moments. Here are some eye-opening facts and sustainability tips.

1. That petrochemical in the plastic lining of the paper coffee cups would produce enough energy to heat 8,300 homes for a year. [Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach]

Tip: Purchase items with as little packaging as possible, and look for packaging that is recyclable.

2. Between 500 billion and one trillion plastic bags are used every year worldwide, but using paper bags might be even worse. According to the Institute for Life cycle Environmental Assessment, even though Americans recycled nearly 20% of paper bags (compared to less than 1% of plastic), one paper bag takes more energy and creates more waste than two plastic bags.

Tip: Go for reusable shopping bags, especially at the grocery. Many stores offer a discount per bag.

3. Every day in the United States, roughly 690,000 tons of materials are dumped in landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. And only a small fraction of that is legitimate waste.

Tip: Reuse, recycle, reduce, resell, and re-gift as much as possible.

4. The aluminum cans we throw away each year use the equivalent of 16 million barrels of oil, enough to fuel one million cars for one year. [Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach]

Tip: Use the refillable Easy Traveler cup.

5. Takeout food packaging creates 1.8 million tons of trash in the United States every year.

Tip: Save $2250 (and the landfills) by bringing your lunch in a reusable bag [Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach]

About Capitol Cups

Capitol Cups is proud to offer the highest quality cups for kids and adults alike. Whether you’re a mom looking for spill-resistant, eco-friendly, easy care cups or a guy on the go, Capitol Cups has what you are looking for. And if you’re a company that needs a customizable, branded marketing program, Capitol Cups works hand-in-hand with corporations across America to do just that.